Court-martial date set for Bales

February 02, 2013 - 2:49:29 am

LOS ANGELES: US Sergeant Robert Bales accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers last year will face a court-martial in September. He could face the death penalty if found guilty, said a spokesman for the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Seattle, in the state of Washington. He gave a “tentative” start date of September 3. Bales, 39, allegedly left his base in the Panjwayi district of southern Kandahar province on the night of March 11, 2012, killed the people and set several bodies on fire. The court martial is expected to take place at the base.

Cellphones clamp

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik ordered shut mobile phone services in Karachi during Friday prayers. He said there was a terror threat, DawnNews said yesterday.

Measles cases

Lahore: At least 226 new cases of measles have been reported in Punjab province, including 32 in Lahore, officials said. The death toll has reached 14.

Four kidnapped

Islamabad: Four workers of a local NGO were kidnapped by armed men in Karachi’s suburb of Maripur, Geo TV said yesterday, last night. Two women were also abducted but later freed.